I won't live long enough to see it, but I fully expect digital voice radio of various forms to mostly replace analog, much as SSB mostly replaced AM. Imagine hams communicating by voice in 50 years. Yes, there will be AM, SSB and analog FM. D-Star may or may not survive. If it does, it will have been improved and incompatible with what we use today. But I feel certain voice will largely be digital, both on HF and VHF/UHF. Codecs for hams will improve over time. There'll be more useful high speed data, at least on VFH+. Things change, from spark on forward. And Hams will have fun every step of the way. And in 50 years they'll still be using CW.
Jim - K6JM ----- Original Message ----- From: Steve Bosshard (NU5D) To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, September 05, 2010 8:57 PM Subject: Re: [DSTAR_DIGITAL] New D-Star repeater now in place in ARRL lab One reason I think Gary is new technologies didn't threaten established technologies like SSB and AM. Packet was a step ahead of RTTY - digi's etc. PSK has a weak signal niche apart from other technologies. Traditional FM and DSTAR is like comparing a typewriter to a word processor and resemble the AM / SSB days (even warbulators).. One thing is certain - the market will find it's own level. steve
